Device for cleaning cisterns



(Ne Medef.)

0.1. SEARLES, GLF, JACKSON 8v M'. GUSTIN. DEVICEv FOR CLEANING' CISTERNS.

Ne. 447,368. Patented Mer. 3, 1891.

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ORREN I. SEARLES, GEORGE F. JACKSON, AND FRANK M. GUSTIN, OF FORT MADISON, IOVA.

DEVICE FOR CLEANING CISTERNS.

SPECIFICA'I ION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,368, dated March 3, 1891.

Application filed June 18,1890. Serial No. 355,872. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Beit known that we, ORREN I. SEARLEs, GEORGE F. JACKSON, and FRANK M. GUsTlN, citizens of the United States, residing at Fort Madison, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Device for Cleaning Oisterns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices forcleaning cisterns, and.is an improvement on the devices of this class for which an application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 349,919, was tiled by us on the 29th day of April, and patented July 29, 1890, No. 433,099.

Our present invention has "for its object to simplify the construction and to render the device more eflicient in operation; and-it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of a cisternlcleaning device embodying our improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the device open for the purpose of emptying it of its contents.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

1 designates a cylindrical casing, which is provided at its upper end with a head 2, permanently secured therein. The lower end of the cylindrical shell 1 is flared slightly in an outward direction to form a seat for the bottom 3. The latter, which is preferably constructed of malleable iron, is provided at its edge with an annular flange 1l, which is made lslightly flared, as will be seen in the draw ings, so as to fit the seat formed by the ilaring lower end 5 of the cylindrical shell. The latter is preferably made of sheet metal, such as galvanized iron, which is light, durable, inexpensive, and sutlciently strong for the purposes of the device. By the construction just described the bottom may be seated very tightly in and be made to form a very close joint with the lower end of the cylinder. The bottom is provided with an opening 6, surrounded by an upwardly-extending iiange 7, which forms a seat for an upwardly-opening valve 3.

9 designates the yoke or bail, the ends of the'legs of which are secured in projections 10, extending on diam etrically-opposite sides of the bottom 3. The legs of said yoke also extend through perforations 1l in lugs 12, which extend from diametricallyopposite sides of the head 2 of the cylinder,which latter is thus enabled to slide vertically upon the legs of said yoke. Suitably secured to the upper end of the latter is asleeve or ferrule 13, having an L-shaped slot 14 formed therein. The handle 15,which is mounted in `said ferrule has a stud .lo extending outwardly through the slot 14, thus forming a bayonet-joint, by means of which the handle may be locked in the sleeve or ferrule when the cylinder 1 is lowered and seated upon the bottom 3. The lower end of the handle 15 is connected, either directly or by means of a rod 17, with the head, of the cylinder. It will thus be seen that by giving the handle 15 a short turn to release the stud 16 from the lower end or notch of the slot 14 the cylinder may be raised to the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings for the purpose of emptying it of its contents. Th-e lower ends of the legs of the yoke 9 are provided with feet 18 for the purpose of preventing the flange at the lower end of the bottom 3 from coming in direct contact with the bottom of the cistern during the opera# tion of the device, when the sediment and impurities would be prevented from entering into the cylinder. j

` The head 2 of the cylinder is provided with an opening 19, forminga seat for a stopper or valve 20, which is attached to the end of la bend or goose-neck 21, formed at the upper end of a rod 22, which is mounted to slide vertically in suitable bearings 23 upon the outer side of the cylindrical shell or casing.L

The length of the rod 22 is so proportioned that when the cylinderl is seated upon the bottom the lower end of said rod shall project a short distance below said bottom.

The operation of this invention willbe readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed. When the cylinder is seated upon the bottom and the handle is turned so as to lock the bayonet-joint, the device, manipulated by the handle l5, is lowered into the cistern. Vhen the lower' end of the rod 22 strikes the bottom, the valve 20 will be lifted from its seat and the valve S, which has up to this time been held closed by the pressure of the air in the cylinder, will now open. The mud and sediment at the bottom of the cistern will now rush into the cylinder through the opening G and displace the air, which escapes upwardly through the wateriu the cistern,which is thusaerated and purified. When the device is lifted out of the cistern, the valve 8 will automatically close and retain the contents, which may afterward be removed by unlocking' the bayonet-joint and sliding the cylinder upwardly upon the yoke. The operation may then be repeated any desired number of times until the cistern has been thoroughly cleaned.

By means of our improved cleaning device all mud, sediment, decayed animal and vegetable matter, and the like may be easily and quickly removed from cisterns, the water in which is at the same time purified by the introduction of fresh and pure air.

The device is simple in construction and may be manufactured at a moderate expense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim and desire to secure by -Tletters Patent of the United Statesl. The combination of the cylindrical shell, the bottom having an opening provided with an upwardly-opening valve, a yoke the legs of which extend through bearings on opposite sides of the head of the cylinder and are attached to opposite sides of the bottom, means for locking the cylinder and the bottom together, and a vertically-sliding rod mounted in .bearings upon the outer side of the cylinder and terminating at its upper end in a goose-neck carrying a stopper or valve having a seat in the top of the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

2. In a device for cleaning' cisterns, the conbination of the yoke, the cylindrical shell mounted to slide upon the legs of said yoke, the bottom having a valved opening secured to the lower ends of said legs, a sleeve or ferrule at the upper end of said ybke having an Lshaped slot, a handle extendingthrough the sleeve or ferrule and having a notch extending through the slot in the latter, a rod, as 17, connecting said handle with the top of the cylinder, and a rod mounted slidngly upon the outer side of the cylinder and carrying a stopper or valve having a seat in the top of said cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a device for cleaning cisterns, the combination, with a shell or casing the bottom of which has an opening provided with an upwardly-opening valve and the top of which has an opening or valve-Seat, of a valve or stopper seated in the latter opening and mounted upon a vertically-sliding rod which is mounted exteriorly' upon the shell or casing and extends below the bottom of the latter, a yoke secured to the bottom and cxtending through bearings at the top of the cylinder, a ferrule at the upper end of said yoke, a handle extending through said ferrule and adapted to be locked therein by a bayonet-joint, and a rod, as 17, connecting said handle with the top of the cylinder,sub stantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in presence of two witn esses.

ORREN I. SEARLES. GEORGE F. JACKSON. FRANK M. GUSTIN. Witnesses:

ALBERT E. GLAZIER, M. W. MITCHEL. 

